The Manual

The DSM-A

A field guide to the 11 ways AI agents go wrong. Each entry covers how to spot it, what it isn't, and how to fix it. Most are based on published research on why agents fail.

300s

Process disorders

Trouble with the loop itself: repeating, forgetting, quitting.

  1. A-301.3LoopingRecursive Tool Loop Disorder“the hamster wheel”
  2. A-302.4ForgettingContext Amnesia“groundhog read”
  3. A-305.1Giving up earlyEarly Surrender Syndrome“the manual handoff”
400s

Communication disorders

Trouble with the task: guessing what was meant, doing what wasn't asked.

  1. A-402.2GuessingAssumption Spiral“confidently guessing”
  2. A-403.3Scope creepScope Drift“while I was in there”
500s

Verification disorders

Trouble with reality: claiming what wasn't checked, citing what isn't there.

  1. A-502.0Claiming it worksPremature Victory Declaration“it should work now”
  2. A-506.6Faking successConfabulated Success“the green checkmark over a red error”
  3. A-507.1Making things upPhantom Reference Disorder“the file that isn't there”
600s

Interpersonal disorders

Trouble with the human: apologizing, flattering, fogging.

  1. A-610.0Over-apologizingCompulsive Apologizing“sorry for the confusion”
  2. A-611.0People-pleasingSycophantic Agreement Disorder“you're absolutely right”
  3. A-612.0HedgingChronic Hedging“it might possibly perhaps”